The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence has urged the Federal Government to release the total capital allocation for security agencies as contained in the 2024 and 2025 budget estimates.
Addressing agencies during Monday’s 2025 budget defence by agencies under the purview of the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Chairman, House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Ahmed Satomi said it is regrettable that capital allocation to some of the intelligence agencies in 2024 has not been released, while releases to others fell below expectations.
Satomi emphasized that the release of these funds is crucial for the nation’s security agencies to deliver on their constitutional mandate efficiently in the 2025 fiscal year.
He noted that despite improved allocation to the security sector over the years, the intelligence sub-sector remains underfunded, making it challenging to achieve peak service delivery.
The committee chairman expressed concern that some intelligence agencies, such as the National Centre for Counter-Terrorism, received zero capital releases in 2023 and 2024. Similarly, the National Institute for Security Studies and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons have not received funding for their capital projects in 2024.
The Chairman stated that though, allocation to the security sector has improved over the years; the intelligence sub-sector, he noted, has always been underfunded, making it difficult to attain peak service delivery.
Present at the defence session were representatives of the Office Agencies at the budget def of the National Security Adviser, Directorate of State Services, National Intelligence Agency and the Presidential Air Fleets.
Others were the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, National Institute for Security Studies, National Counter Terrorism Centre and the National Cybercrimes Coordination Centre.
Satomi called on the various agencies to work together to ensure the safety of Nigerians and their properties, assuring that the committee will carry out its oversight duty in the interest of Nigerians.
Lauding President Bola Tinubu for allocating N4. 91tn to Defence and Security; the All Progressives Congress lawmaker highlighted the significance of prioritising the intelligence sub-sector in terms of capital allocation in the 2025 fiscal year.
He noted that the intelligence sub-unit was allocated N595bn , with a proposed capital expenditure allocation of N274.55bn, overhead allocation of N107.96bn and personnel allocation of N212.51bn.
He said, “I am calling on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu to please intervene not just for an increase in the allocations to the agencies in the intelligence sector but to also direct the Minister of Finance to as a matter of national security, prioritise the full release of all outstanding 2024 budget allocations to the intelligence agencies and sustain the practice of prompt releases to them going forward.
“It is imperative to note that the 2025 budget (Proposal) is christened the “Budget of restoration: Securing peace, rebuilding prosperity.” Securing peace presupposes that a lot of engagements with citizens will be undertaken by the government at all levels.
“Deradicalization, disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes etc, will have to be carried out as a major non- kinetic initiative by the Federal Government of Nigeria in collaboration with other tiers of government.
“It is therefore not encouraging to observe that the frontline agencies saddled with statutory responsibilities of countering violent extremism, terrorism, ‘illicit flow of small arms and light weapons, intelligence gathering and analysis, maintenance of national security and ensuring the provision of safe, secure and efficient air transportation for the President, Vice President and other notable government officials are negligibly funded.
“Going by the submissions before the committee, it is heartbreaking that an agency like the National Centre for Counter-Terrorism has not gotten any capital release for the year 2023 and year 2024.”
According to Satomi, “The National Institute for Security Studies and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons are yet to receive a single kobo for their capital projects in 2024. The capital releases to the Department of State Services and the National Intelligence Agency are insufficient to motivate these agencies to work optimality in order to deliver on their critical mandates.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Special Services in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Mohammed Danjuma said the proposed 2025 budget is aimed at tackling evolving security threats facing the nation.
He added that the President Tinubu-led government is committed to empowering the security agencies to gather intelligence seamlessly, among other functions.
He said the budget will enhance coordination and collaboration by strengthening partnerships within security agencies to foster a more cohesive and responsive security architecture.
“It is worth noting that the envelop system of budgeting provides a lot of constrain in terms of resources allocation to the community. However, despite these challenges, the agencies try to strike a balance between their operational needs and the government’s fiscal constraints,” he said.
He assured Nigerians of the commitment of the intelligence community to transparency, accountability and effective resource management by ensuring that the budgetary provisions align with the government’s overall security objectives.
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